The dual impact of trade on the water–energy–food nexus globally
Jianguo Liu
Nature Sustainability, Published online: 02 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01796-w Global trade tightly links water, energy and food systems, but its effects on cross-border sustainability and equity remain unclear. A study now maps global water–energy–food trade networks, finding that trade balances overall resource gains while deepening cross-country income inequalities.